Dictionary.com

withers

[ with-erz ]
/ ˈwɪð ərz /

noun (used with a plural verb)

the highest part of the back at the base of the neck of a horse, cow, sheep, etc.

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Idioms for withers

    wring one's withers, to cause one anxiety or trouble: The long involved lawsuit is wringing his withers.

Origin of withers

First recorded in 1535–45; origin uncertain

Words nearby withers

withe, wither, witherite, withe rod, wither on the vine, withers, withershins, Witherspoon, eyes open, with, with flying colors, pass with, with good grace
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to withers

dry, perish, wane, wilt, disintegrate, decay, deflate, fade, atrophy, languish, shrivel, shrink, deteriorate, waste, collapse, die, contract, fold, desiccate, constrict

Example sentences from the Web for withers

British Dictionary definitions for withers

withers
/ (ˈwɪðəz) /

pl n

the highest part of the back of a horse, behind the neck between the shoulders

Word Origin for withers

C16: short for widersones, from wider with + -sones, perhaps variant of sinew; related to German Widerrist, Old English withre resistance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012